Bearing Witness
by 24vampiregirl
Summary: Takes place in Breaking Dawn while Bella, Edward and Renesmee must meet all the people to witness for Renesmee in front of the Volturi. Covers Bella's thoughts on Edward, her daughter and her family during this hard time. Breaking Dawn missing moments.
1. Deja Vu

_**Seeing the exclusive Breaking Dawn clip from Target I got further inspired to write Bella as a vampire and take a break from writing through human Bella's point of view. Though I love writing as human-Bella, vampire-Bella is just so exciting. This takes place in Breaking Dawn, where witnesses are being gathered for the big 'fight'. It will cover meeting new witnesses, private moments with Bella and Edward, maybe a little Charlie and what happened between there being a house full of the Cullen's to a house full of witnesses. This one takes place after the Denali clan arrives.**_

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><p>"<em>No," Edward said in a distant voice. His eyes were far away, staring blankly at the door. "It's not your father." His gaze focused on me. "Alice sent Peter and Charlotte, after all. Time to get ready for the next round."<em>

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><p>All six vampires froze for a second, then we were in action, deciding the best way to do this. Obviously Renesmee would have to be hidden, but what about our other guests. Would it be best to have them hanging around, to explain how even they were turned to the truth by Renesmee, or should they be hidden, as not to overwhelm Peter and Charlotte? We need them to see the truth, to witness for us. To do that, they had to accept Renesmee. Would the Denali's presence help or hinder that? It appeared Edward was on the same thought process as I was.<p>

"Tanya, do you think it would be best if you wait in here? I'll call you if we need help, but Charlotte and Peter are some of our closest friends, or at least some of Jasper's closest friends, so they would trust us enough not to drag them into danger." Edward gritted his teeth at the last statement. After all, we _were_ dragging them into danger, all but sentencing them to death ourselves.

"Of course, Edward. Once they touch Renesmee, they will have no doubt of the truth. If it becomes a problem, we can explain how she has already convinced us," Tanya replied, completely understanding. Kate, Carmen and Eleazar were at her side in an instant, Renesmee still in Carmen's arms. She looked up at Edward and I curiously, but seeming expectant. She knew that these next visitors were coming to see her, just like the Denali's had come. Her face was serious and composed, but not striped in worry and anxiety like mine must have been.

Jacob, who had been silent since the Denali's had spoken to him, drifted over from his place in the corner, reaching out to take Renesmee from Carmen. She flinched back slightly as their skin touched, the heat like fire to our ice cold skin. Jacob ignored her reaction, so unlike what he would have done a few months ago. Renesmee had changed him entirely. Carmen was not oblivious to the connection between Jacob and Renesmee- nobody could ignore the bond between them- and she handed him off without hesitation. Edward's face twisted a bit as Renesmee went into Jacob's arms.

"I have to leave, don't I?" He asked, panicked at the thought of leaving Renesmee alone with these unknown vampires. Edward gave him a gentle smile- another thing which would have never happened a few months ago- and held his arms out for Renesmee.

"I think that will be best. Peter and Charlotte know of your existence, but they have never met you before. I think, for Renesmee's sake, you should remain hidden, at least until they have accepted her story," Edward explained in a reassuring tone. Jacob didn't look too convinced, or too confident. "I promise I'll come get you as soon as it's safe for you to be here. Pass the message onto Sam to keep everyone hidden for the mean while." This reassured Jacob a little bit more, who, to my surprise, clapped Edward on the shoulder before kissing me and Renesmee on the forehead.

"Good luck," Jacob said in a longing tone. I knew he wished more than anything that he could stay with Renesmee, so I tried to give him a confident smile and nod, but it came out wrong. I couldn't imagine what my face looked like now. Edward seemed to have a gift- one I didn't possess- for completely shielding his emotions and keeping his face perfectly smooth.

"How should be proceed?" I asked quickly, hearing the tires on the driveway getting closer and closer to the house. Edward thought for a second, and then looked to the Denali clan.

"Maybe one of you could hold Renesmee while Bella and I answer the door. They have never met Bella before, but they have heard of her. Maybe it will be more successful if they receive the truth in parts. We don't know how much Alice has told them, but judging by their thoughts, it's very little," Edward said in a rushed tone, handing Renesmee over to Tanya.

"Okay. I'll wait in the dining room until you're ready for beautiful Renesmee to come meet them. Don't worry Edward, as soon as they hear her, they won't be able to deny that her story is fact." Tanya's voice came out as more of a coo with Renesmee in her arms, serious yet smiling.

Edward nodded once, and took my hand in his, guiding me towards the front door. I squeezed his hand as we heard an engine cut off below. Edward rubbed reassuring circles on the back on my hand with his thumb, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead as two doors opened and closed within a second of each other. If my heart still beat, it would be frantic by now as the newest visitors swiftly moved up the porch stairs. Edward opened the door as they reached the entrance.

"Hello Peter, Charlotte," Edward addressed the visitors calmly. I had never met Peter and Charlotte before, but I didn't know what I expect. Peter was tall and lean, like Jasper, and also like Jasper, he was covered in battle scars, just not as many. Seeing Charlotte put a lump in my throat, too much of a reminder of Alice than I wanted. Just like Alice, she was petite and thin, though her hair was a pale blond colour, matching Peter's. As a couple, they looked too much like Alice and Jasper; the scarred soldier and the petite little female.

"Hello, Edward," Peter said, his voice formal and serious. Alice must have told them enough to have them worried.

"This must be Bella," Charlotte said in a high, trilling voice, smiling lightly at me. I smiled back a second too late, too worried to make my emotions genuine.

"Nice to meet you, Bella," Peter said, holding his hand out. I shook it, worry still my dominant expression. I worked to create the same look of calm as Edward showed. The atmosphere changed abruptly, and Peter straightened his position, Charlotte becoming tense at his side. This was the moment they had come for.

"Alice said that it was important that we come at once, that's all she told us, but we trust her instincts," Peter explained, Charlotte nodding along with him. "So what is it that we were needed so urgently for?" Edward took a moment of silence before continuing.

"You mustn't judge what you are about to see before you hear the truth. Please, ignore any other rules and tales you have heard. This is unlike anything you have seen before, please remember that," Edward explained. I took a deep breath as he called Tanya into the room. Renesmee hid in her strawberry blond hair, shy again now that there were more guests coming to see her. As soon as Renesmee was in view, but her face still hidden, Edward spoke.

"Can you hear her heartbeat?" Edward asked, pausing while Peter and Charlotte nodded, inhaling with confused expressions. Unlike the rest of our company, they lived a traditional vampire lifestyle, where a heartbeat meant food, to an extent. But Renesmee doesn't smell the way humans smell. Obviously Peter and Charlotte knew this. They looked at her curiously.

"Now remember that her heart beats..." Edward held his arms out for Renesmee, who somehow knew this was her moment. Looking up shyly from Edward's arms, she smiled nervously at Peter and Charlotte. Their reaction wasn't as powerful as I had anticipated after the Denali's reaction. Peter and Charlotte froze on the spot, looking at Renesmee in shock, who remained calm throughout the exchange.

"What...what is this?" Peter asked and answered his own question, whispering under his breath. "An immortal child...I have never seen one before, but of course we know the rule. But her heartbeat? It can't be...what is this?"

"She's not an immortal child, Peter. She is half human," Edward explained. Peter looked at him in complete shock, Charlotte's face having the same expression.

"_Half_ human? How can that be?" Charlotte spoke now. Their frozen forms still remained, but they looked at Renesmee more curiously, considering the possibility that she is not an immortal child. I remained silent, wishing desperately I could know what they were thinking. Maybe then I could help instead of leaving Edward alone, having to explain everything himself.

"Bella conceived and carried our daughter while she was human. The birth nearly killed her. It was incredibly lucky I was able to change her at the very last minute," Edward explained for a second time today. Renesmee waited patiently with Tanya, who also remained silent. Peter looked at Edward, confused and slightly amazed.

"_Our_ daughter?" He asked, exchanging a glance of curiosity with Charlotte, who looked again at Renesmee, perhaps seeing the resemblance between her and Edward. She shook her head, awed.

"Yes, it's exactly what you are thinking," Edward replied to a thought of theirs we hadn't heard. "I am not her parent by means of creating her. I am her biological father, and Bella is her biological mother." All sets of eyes turned to me now. One thing that hadn't changed with becoming a vampire was my hatred of attention. I shied into Edward's side.

"I can see she is young," Peter appraised me, staring straight into my orange-red eyes. "Maybe three months old...but this child looks to be much older than a three month old baby, maybe a year or two old," Peter looked back to Edward for answers.

"Renesmee grows at an immense rate. She was only carried for a month before she reached full maturity, and in three months, she has gained at least a year of physical development. Mentally, she is much more intelligent than most adults. She learns incredibly quickly, and she is absolutely no danger to us, or humans. Renesmee is nothing like the immortal children you have heard of." Peter and Charlotte leaned closer to our daughter, wanting a closer look like everyone else had when they first met her. Renesmee smiled again, waving this time. Peter flinched slightly, but Charlotte looked amazed.

"Impossible, but I can see her. Does she speak?" Charlotte asked, but before Edward could respond, Renesmee spoke for the first time in a while.

"Yes. But I have a special way of showing you what I want to say," Renesmee trilled in a high soprano. She held her hand out, leaving a few inches between her hand and Charlotte's cheek. Already she had learned to be patient when it comes to speaking with these knew guests. Charlotte leaned forward, letting Renesmee touch her skin. I could tell as soon as Renesmee was sharing her story. Charlotte froze, waving Peter off when he came to hover near her. And then like the Denali's, she was captured by our precious daughter.

"Amazing, Peter. Come; let her show you her story. Everything Edward has told us is the truth," Charlotte said to her tall, lean mate. Peter approached Renesmee slightly nervous, but just like Charlotte, he accepted her story right away. After a long minute, Peter spoke again.

"I can see that she is not dangerous at all, but what is this danger, then? Something that would make Jasper and Alice so desperate for us to come here." Peter asked. And like that, the slightly happy mood disappeared. Edward sensed my tension, and wrapped his arm around my waist. I leaned into his body for support, mental rather than physical.

"Another vampire saw Renesmee from a distance. She was rather... put out with our family. Of course, she would assume that Renesmee is an immortal child, and went to inform those who take care of such offences..." Edward explained in an emotionless voice. Peter and Charlotte understood in an instant, their faces identical masks of horror. I didn't want to hear Edward explain this again.

"Who would do such a thing...?" Charlotte mused. Edward interceded before Tanya could respond.

"She had a valid reason. She's grieving, and we haven't helped her how she wants to be helped," Edward explained quickly. I could see the pain in Tanya's face as he talked about her sister.

"So what are the Volturi doing? I would assume Alice has seen something." Peter responded, his voice empty, like Edward's, yet still hopeful. That's more than I could say for any of us. _No_, I told myself. I have to have hope, hope that my daughter could get out of this alive. I would have to find some way to see J. Jenks, but we were so busy, and I couldn't stand to leave Edward, not for a second.

"They are coming, everyone...the family, the guard. Even the wives. They are coming to punish us for the crime we think they have committed." Hearing it was every bit as horrible as the first time.

"And you want us to help stop them? We can't win any fight with them. You must know that," Peter said, shifting closer to Charlotte.

"Not fight, Peter. We would never ask that of you. We just need the Volturi to stop, and with enough witnesses, maybe they will pause long enough for us to explain."

"We can do that, witness. We can say that the child is not an immortal child, that much is clear. We can witness that she is not dangerous, and that she grows," Charlotte answered him, won over completely by Renesmee.

"Are the others doing what Alice and Jasper are doing? Collecting witnesses?" Peter asked, noting the absence of the rest of the Cullen's.

"I'm not sure what Alice is doing, but yes, the others are collecting witnesses," Edward replied, his face twisting in pain slightly when he said Alice's name. I could feel the dry, prickly feeling in my eyes again. Edward kissed my head while Peter and Charlotte looked confused at our reaction.

"I miss her too," Edward whispered. "But she will be doing the right thing. She always is." I clung onto Edward, ignoring the eyes watching us. For Renesmee's sake, I tried to pull myself together. She didn't need to see me like this.

"Alice left for good?" Charlotte asked, mouth hanging open in shock. Hearing the words just made it that much worse. I couldn't even watch Edward nod in agreement. Once again, I felt helpless. After a long, aching minute of silence, Renesmee spoke. She would have used her usual form of communication, but she was in Charlotte's arms now, excited with her new friends.

"Where is Jacob?" She asked, the longing in her voice clear. It didn't just hurt Jacob for them to be apart.

"Who is Jacob?" Peter asked. "Another baby?" Edward shook his head.

"Jacob is our friend. He and his brothers will help protect Renesmee," Edward explained, surprising me again with how close he and Jake had become in recent months. There was no bitterness in their relationship, no anger or jealousy or prejudice. "No, he's not one of us," Edward responded to a silent thought.

"If he's human, how could he possibly..." Peter asked, but Edward cut him off.

"I didn't say he was human. Jacob is a werewolf." Peter and Charlotte widened their eyes, but they didn't take the news as they had when they first saw Renesmee. Obviously werewolves were more common in the vampire world than I thought, or at least more well known. Renesmee reached out for Edward, touching his cheek as soon as she was in his arms. Of course he would have heard her anyway, but Renesmee prefers to still show him her thoughts.

"I think I could... It doesn't sound like anyone is on their way at the moment, so Jacob could probably hang out here until the next group of visitors arrive. I'll go find him," Edward promised her, handing Renesmee to me. Before he left, he kissed me lightly on the lips. Even a few minutes apart and we wouldn't be able to stand it, not with so little time left. But I have to stay here, be a good host. Besides, Renesmee shouldn't be left without either of her parents, even if just for a second.

As Edward swiftly darted out the door, Renesmee pressed her hot little hand against my neck. Her thoughts came across more as feelings, so similar to my own that they were hard to distinguish. She was feeling lonely, despite being surrounded by all these new people. There were flashes of her pressing her hand against Carmen, then Tanya, Kate and Eleazar, and her touching these new guests, who she wanted to know about. She was curious with their eye colour, a deep burgundy. Through her eyes, I could see my own eyes, bright red at first, and now orangey, then the eyes of the rest of my family and the Denali's, a strong gold. Renesmee had learnt enough that my eyes we to do with my age, and dark eyes for the rest of my family were a signal of hunger, but she was curious what this new colour meant. Of course she figured it out herself, realising that these newcomers hunted humans. She was curious, but not enough to make me worry. Renesmee knew very well why she hunts animals.

Under all her curiosity, there was loneliness and longing. She brushed over the faces of the rest of the family as they headed out the door to search for witnesses; Carlisle's look of worry and determination, Esme's gut-wrenching worry, Emmett's eagerness and Rosalie's expressionless yet perfect face. Then her thoughts turned back to Alice and Jasper, the last time she had seen them. Her memories were vivid clear as she recalled sitting in Jacob's arms, waiting for our family to return after chasing to save Alice. Her senses, though not quite as strong as vampires, were enough for her to catch the note Carlisle held preciously in his hand before setting it down on the kitchen bench.

I looked over my shoulder. Sure enough, the note was still there, sitting perfectly folder on the table on that thin piece of paper from my book. Shifting Renesmee to one arm, I crossed the room to the kitchen counter. The Denali's and Peter and Charlotte were all engaged in a conversation about the Volturi, one I tried my hardest to tune out. I reached my hand out to take the note. If I had been human, my hand would have been shaking as I took the piece of paper in my fingers. I could tell from Renesmee's thoughts she was curious, but she didn't say anything as I placed the note in my pocket.

I hugged Renesmee tighter to my chest, and she shifted to wrap her arms and legs around my body, clinging onto me. Did she know how little time we had left together? Sure, Jacob had shielded her from the worst news, but how much had she pieced together? I didn't want her to share my worry, but I couldn't help hugging her tightly, crushing her gently against my body. I stared out the back window, waiting for Edward to return with Jacob. It took all my effort to compose my expression when they crossed the river seconds later, Jacob in his human form.

As soon as he was inside, Jacob sprinted to take Renesmee in his arms. Usually this would have annoyed me, but I handed her over without hesitation, falling into Edward's arms as soon as Jacob had Renesmee against his chest. Edward held me tightly for a moment, before releasing my body, keeping my hand in his. Although it was unnecessary, he pulled me over to sit on the free couch- the other vampires had spread themselves across the rest of the seating- and kept my body tightly against his side, for which I was grateful.

Jacob hovered in the corner, Renesmee in his lap. Her eyes drooped, her body looking limp. Usually about this time Edward and I would take her back to the cottage for the night, but we had a job to do. Who knows when the next group of visitors will show up? We knew we must spend the rest of the long night here, just waiting. That's all we could do. I leaned my head against Edward's shoulder and closed my eyes as if I were about to go to sleep. Edward stroked my hair with the hand not around my shoulders. The gesture was oddly comforting. How many times had we been in this situation? Waiting for death to come was not new for me, only this time, there was so much more at stake than my own life. I could live with my life being forfeited, but not the idea that my daughter wouldn't make it to her first birthday.

"Should we take Renesmee home?" Edward asked quietly, though everyone else in the room would have been able to hear. I looked to my daughter, now sleeping in the corner. Jacob looked like he would pass out any second, but certainly not in a room full of stranger vampires.

"Don't we need to stay here? In case someone else comes?" I asked, wanting more than anything to have some normality for Renesmee.

"If anyone shows up, which is unlikely at the moment, someone will come find us," Edward said, and I saw Tanya and Carmen nod in agreement out of the corner of my eye.

"Okay. Let's go home," I said, smiling for the first time in a while. I pulled Renesmee's sleeping form from Jacob's arms.

"Jake, you should get some sleep," I told him, noting how his eyelids drooped. Jacob shook his head sleepily.

"Nah I have to stay awake, keep a lookout. I don't want to be caught off guard," Jacob said in a tired tone.

"Seth and Leah are out on patrol. I'm sure you'll be fine getting a few hours sleep. We'll wake you if anything happens," Edward promised in an understanding tone. I guess he knew more than any of us what it was like for Jacob in this situation.

"Sure sure, but I'm not sleeping here," Jacob joked, signalling to the gathered vampires, who pointedly ignored him. "I'll go see if Seth can cover for me for a few hours...night guys," Jacob said, turning for the doorway after brushing Renesmee's cheek. As soon as he was gone, Edward took my hand, entwining our fingers.

We took off through the woods, the most direct path home. There was a strange feeling in my stomach. Not one of hope or reality or happiness, but numbness, like we could escape the horror movie for the night. Our cottage, a fairytale home, a little escape from reality. Edward and I gripped each other tight as we ran, knowing this was one of the now limited number of night we had left together. So we continued towards the small little break from realism, trying to ignore the truth of our situation, even if we could only pretend for a few hours.

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><p><strong><em>I know, I know, I should finishing my other stories, but the coming release of Breaking Dawn Part Two has me really excitied for vampire Bella. The next chapter will be greatly inspired by the Target exclusive clip from the second movie. For those of you who haven't seen the clip, it can be found on YouTube under 'Target Exclusive Clip, Breaking Dawn part 2'. I know the clip takes place a bit earlier in the story, when Bella is finding Alice's note, but parts of it and the dialogue should fit in in the next chapter of this story. Hopefully I won't keep you waiting long, but I don't have a great track record when it comes to updating stories. Please send me any ideas or thoughts!<em>**


	2. One Final Note

**_This chapter is heavily inspired by the Exclusive Target sneek peak at Breaking Dawn Part Two. Although I have kept all the original dialogue, I have added a bit in the middle and taken it a bit out of context. This way seems more appropriate, to me at least. For those of you who have seen the clip, you will understand just how sad and hopeless this scene felt (the lovely yet emotional music didn't help!). I really wanted to get across Bella feeling helpless in this chapter, and Edward trying to comfort her whilst feeling the same thing._ **

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><p>I waited on one of the perfectly placed couches in our small, cosy living room, watching the fire burn low through blank eyes. I could hear Renesmee's heartbeat fluttering in the other room where Edward was putting her in bed. I couldn't bear to put my daughter down tonight, knowing her nights were limited. My new mind was far too good at math and calculations. Just twenty-nine nights, working on Alice's one month model. Only twenty nine more nights left with Edward, Twenty-eight more days with my amazing daughter. Less than a month to enjoy my new, no longer ever-lasting life.<p>

Sweet music was in the air as Edward sung to Renesmee, a lullaby of her own. I closed my eyes, focusing on the music, but my thoughts couldn't be blocked out so easily. No matter how hard I tried, there was always that small voice in the back of my head bringing me back to reality, keeping me from hoping too much. I pulled the note from my pocket, carefully smoothing out the piece of paper until it was flat. I couldn't bring myself to read the words, staring at the writing, trying not to see what was written.

"Bella?" Edward asked, moving to sit next to me on the couch. I looked up at him, not bothering to conceal my expression. Edward would always see through me. I could not lie to him. But then, I had to. To protect whatever secret Alice was trying to keep from him, from Aro. Edward saw the look of shock or horror or whatever expression was on my face, pulling me into his arms tightly. I felt like bursting out in tears, but my new body wouldn't allow me to. So instead I settled for pathetically collapsing on Edward, letting him comfort me. After a few minutes, I pulled back, holding the note out in front of me, staring at the page blankly. Edward looked at the page too, not seeming to read the words. Neither of us wanted to relive what had been written.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked quietly, looking at me with curiosity. The question, one I had heard so many times before, hadn't been asked in the last few days, we so full of worry that Edward and I hadn't had much time alone, to talk at least. In a happier, more hopeful mood, I would have smiled. Maybe made a joke about being a mental mute.

"It's strange. Physically, I feel like I could demolish a tank," I mused, flexing my muscles subconsciously. Sure, I was strong on the outside. "And mentally I just feel...drained." I could punch through a brick wall or stop a moving truck without breaking a sweat- figuratively, of course- but inside, I felt fragile, breakable. Like my whole world was about to collapse. Thinking back, I imagined being invincible as a vampire, not feeling fear or worry the way I had when I was human. I should have known it would be a hundred times worse now. The worry and fear was crushing, popping up in every thought, unable to be repressed.

Edward twisted our fingers together, squeezing gently in a gesture intended to be comforting, but nothing could comfort me in this mood. How I wished I could just lie down and close my eyes and sleep like Renesmee, escaping reality, even if it meant I would have to wake up eventually. I never thought I would miss being human, but the small things like being able to sleep and dream seemed like a luxury now. As if Edward could read my thoughts, he spoke.

"How about a bath?" Edward asked, a slight smile touching his lips. I almost smiled in return to his casual response. Although his face was relaxed, I could see the anxiety in his eyes. While Edward didn't wear his emotions on his sleeve like I did, I had a lot of practice reading his face, and I could see Edward was every bit as terrified as I was. I looked at the note again and took a shaky breath. All I wanted was for my family to be home and safe- was that so much to ask? Is this all some cruel trick of the universe, waiting until my life is finally perfect before destroying it?

I closed my eyes for a second, composing myself. It would do no good worrying. I would try and push these anxieties to the back of my head, for tonight at least. After all, how many night did I have left with Edward. A bath. That was what I needed. Something simple and human, something to make things seem normal. Of course my body didn't get dirty as a human body would. With no need to perspire or excrete chemicals from the body, dirt falling off my smooth skin easily, a bath wasn't high on my list of priorities.

"Sure. A bath sounds nice," I replied after a long moment of silence. Edward sensed my emotions, giving me a knowing smile. My eyes drifted back to Alice's note. Edward followed my gaze as I flipped folded and unfolded the paper, brushing my finger along the invisible indents created in the page by Alice's feather light writing.

"Do you really think she is okay?" I asked Edward in a small voice, not really knowing what difference the answer would make. Edward knew as little about this as I did. In fact, thanks to Alice's little clue, he knew less.

"I'm not sure. But Alice is Alice. She will be doing what is right. She won't want us worrying about her like this..." Edward trailed off; knowing neither of us could help but worry. She was like a best friend to both of us, always there, happy and chirpy, her energy contagious. The last image I had of her face has been embedded in my memory; her eyes empty like the inside of a tomb, her voice empty of hope.

"When do you think the next witnesses will arrive?" I asked, breaking the silence. My voice sounded too loud in my ears. Edward shrugged slightly, unsure himself.

"It really depends on who trusts us enough to come. Carlisle thinks his Irish friends will be the easiest to convince to come at such short notice. They feel they owe him a lot of favors. Maybe we can expect them next, or some of the nomads, if Rosalie and Emmett are able to track them down. By the end of the week we should have a full house, if everything goes to plan," Edward looked vaguely hopeful, his tone casual. A house full of vampires. I quickly turned to Edward as I realized what that meant.

"What will happen when it comes to...mealtimes? They won't hunt in Forks, will they?" I asked quickly, panicked. Charlie...

"Of course not. We will ask them to give Forks a wide berth, maybe even request that they hunt out of state. I guess that means I should start loaning out some of the faster vehicles..." I shuddered as Edward explained. I didn't like the idea, knowing that innocent humans would be killed, wherever they are. Edward stared into my eyes for a long time, and I stared back into his. How many hours had I spent looking at Edward? A countless number so far, and I only had a month left. _We_ only had a month left. Edward out his finger under my chin, keeping my eyes locked to his.

"You need to hunt too, Bella. I keep forgetting that you are still young. It hasn't been fair to keep you this long without hunting. I'll find some way for you to go tomorrow," Edward promised. In truth, I thought little about the burn, too focused on more important matters, but it had been quite a few days since I had last hunted, and I felt thirsty. My hand touched my neck, as if to sooth the flames, ones I had become more skilled at ignoring these past few months.

"I'm fine," I told him, though the burn in my throat was more pronounced now that it had been brought to my attention. But inside, I was far from fine. Everything felt empty, like I was stuck in a bad nightmare I would never be able to wake up from. Every heart-breaking moment I had suffered, every bad memory I had surfaced into my mind; Writing my goodbye note to Edward, begging not for him to come find me in the ballet studio, watching Edward cringing in pain on the floor of the Volturi castle, seeing Jacob turn his back on me as he went off to fight, the moment when the blackness had almost won. Nothing compared to what was coming; the end. The end of me, the end of Edward. The end of the Cullen's, maybe even the end of the wolves. The end of everything I had ever loved, my reason for life. I couldn't even bear to think about the end of my daughter. I would do everything in my power to save her, to keep her alive. I could live with my own death, with Edward's death, knowing we were together, so long as she was able to live. Edward watched the multitude of emotions on my face.

"I've had a bad habit of underestimating you," Edward said, his lips inches from mine. I looked at him in confusion. "Every obstacle you've faced...I'd think you couldn't overcome it. But you just did." Edward looked deep into my eyes, past their fiery surface, as if he were staring straight into my sole. I couldn't place the emotion in his eyes. Was it gratitude?

"You are the reason I have something to fight for," Edward said powerfully, capturing my face in his hands. "My family." The emotion was almost too much to bear, even with so much space in my head. Yes, we had a family. A small but absolutely perfect little family of our own. There _was_ something to fight for. Maybe Edward and I were doomed, but not all our family would be destroyed. That was the only thread of hope I clung onto so desperately.

I didn't know how to respond. My mouth opened, but no words came out. No words would accurately cover my emotions. I leaned forward until my lips pressed against Edward's, feeling the familiar but still shocking spark as our lips met. As far as distractions go, this was the best one, the one I could live with. I would get to the end of my life and look back and not regret a single night we had spent together since being sentenced to death. Edward understood my mood, kissing me back desperately, the way he always kissed me when he felt like our time left together was about to end.

Only now I kissed him the same way, desperate and passionate, remembering every touch between us, every kiss, and every gentle caress. So many things had become easier to manage in this new body, but not my emotions. Sadness, fear, desperation, overwhelming passion...the emotions were quick to run through my body. After a long minute, Edward pulled away, smiling slightly as I clung onto him.

"I'm going to go get the water running," he said softly with one last kiss, gracefully rising from his seat and disappearing from the room. Less than a second later I heard the water running in the bath. As I went to stand, the piece of paper I had sat down on the table caught my attention. '_The Merchant of Venice_.' The cover page. The one page missing from the book which burned in the fireplace, upon Alice's instruction. Of course she had only meant for me to burn the note, but it felt right to get rid of the whole book. Everything but this page in my hand.

I contemplated throwing it in the fire, as if the burning page would somehow make the hurt and loss go away. But I knew it wouldn't. I would watch the last words of my sister burn away, disappear. The words would be chiselled into my memory forever, but there would be nothing tangible, nothing to look at outside my brain.

Wandering over to the bookcase, my steps were slow and silent. I ran my finger across the titles of some of my old books- ones from my father's house- feeling their ragged, worn spines. Romeo and Juliet...Wuthering Heights...Pride and Prejudice... all the classics were there, all but one. My hand froze on the gap where _The Merchant of Venice _sat only a few days ago. There was a gaping hole in the lines of books, empty and black, just like the hole in my chest. Slowly I rearranged the books, one at a time, until there was no longer a gap. It was as if the burning book was never there. But the hole in my heart could not be covered up or closed over.

I heard the water cut off, and light footsteps along the short hallway. I had my back to the doorway, but I could feel Edward's presence as he entered the room, coming to stand right behind me. I turned to look at him immediately. It had been too long without seeing his face, especially with so little time left to stare at his perfection. Edward looked at me like he was thinking the same thing. Without speaking, he took my hand in his, leading me towards the bathroom. As we passed the small coffee table, I placed the note, folded in half, down on a stack of books.

I didn't look back at the note or the burning fire or the remains of my once beloved book. I had to focus all my thoughts on the here and now. Edward kept me pinned against the side of his body, and for that I was grateful. All this seemed slightly more bearable knowing Edward would be at my side right until the very end, a team, united. One of us wouldn't live while the died. Our lives were intertwined, no longer two pieces of a puzzle, but the same piece. If Edward were to be taken out of this world, then I would be right by his side. Forever.

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><p><strong><em>I would love ideas for the next chapter. There are so many witness vampires that I won't be able to cover all of them, but if there are some key covens you would like me to write about meeting Renesmee, I will. I am also doing other things taking place during this time, possibly a hunting trip with the Denali's and a visit tofrom Charlie. I would really like to hear what you think of this story so far, and where you would like it to go._**


	3. Visit

**_This starts off the next morning after the previous chapter. This was never mentioned in the book, but I wanted this scene to occur, and this seemed like the best place for it, following the time line of the book. I hope you like it!_**

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><p>The sun came up much too soon. It had seemed like only minutes ago that Edward and I had begun the night, and now the time for us to tear our bodies away from each other was quickly approaching. We had spent most of the night in silence, trying to block out of the fear and worry and terror so we could make the most of the limited nights we had left together. I knew I should be doing something productive, something which would help when it came to the end, but my body wanted to be selfish. <em>I<em> wanted to be selfish.

I let myself live in an alternate reality, eagerly dragging Edward into our bedroom, crushing his body to mine as I struggled to control the overwhelming passion which consumed me. Edward didn't protest as I threw myself against him, probably much too hard, or when I silenced every word he tried to speak with my lips. I just let my hands run over his face, desperate and forceful, and he did the same to me. Our bodies lay tangled on the bed- I had gained enough to control that we at least made it that far now- when the sun crept higher and higher in the sky, until it reached the point that I knew we couldn't lie here much longer.

Renesmee's gentle snores travelled softly through the walls as we unwillingly tore our bodies apart, rushing into the giant closet. Every perfectly hung garment bag was like a knife in the stomach, an aching reminder of Alice. I would wear every one of those horrendously inappropriate items if it meant I could have Alice home. Trying not to take too much notice of my surroundings, I dressed in an old pair of jeans and a dark jacket, items I had recovered from Charlie's house on one of my visits there with Renesmee. Thinking of Charlie reminded me of a seemly unimportant, but still essential point.

"What are we going to do about Charlie?" I asked Edward, turning around to find him already dressed in black pants and a pale jacket. "He can't come here, but you know he will if we don't make some plans for him to see Renesmee..." Charlie had never gone more than a week without seeing Renesmee. As much as he insisted his reason for visiting was to see me, I knew he was just as hooked by my daughter as the rest of us. Edward thought for a second, taking my hand in a subconscious gesture.

"Maybe it would be best if you pay him a visit before things get too crowded here. I'll try and contact Carlisle and Rosalie and see if we are expecting company anytime this morning. If not, then maybe it would be preferable to see Charlie sooner rather than later," Edward said thoughtfully, pulling Renesmee from her crib, still sleeping peacefully. With Renesmee cradled in one of his arms, and my hand in his, Edward took off through the forest, me tight by his side.

A few seconds before we reached the house there was the distinct drumming of a set of paws behind us, getting closer. Edward and I slowed so Jacob could catch us up, running flat out in his wolf form. Jacob's eyes shot straight to Renesmee, his body visibly relaxing when he saw her. I had learnt not to become offended by such actions. At first I had given him a hard time about being so relieved to see her. What did he think would happen to her in our care? Time had made it easier to understand the situation, and with everything going on right now, imprinting was one of the last things on my mind.

We left Jacob alone to phase, proceeding into the house without slowing down. The guests so far were spread out over the room, some of them reading, others watching TV. It didn't seem like we had missed anything important. Nobody paid any attention as Jacob walked in the door a few minutes later, followed closely by Leah, who looked even more uncomfortable than usual with the added company. Her body twitched as she hovered in the corner, only present because of her responsibility to Jacob. I wondered how much Jacob's pack knew about the coming danger, probably everything. Both packs seemed dedicated to giving up their lives in less than a month.

Jacob reached out for Renesmee, but Edward kept her close against his chest. After a few seconds, Jacob dropped his arms with a sigh, going over to slump down in the corner where Leah awkwardly stood. The other vampires in the room made a point of ignoring the wolves. I got the sense that they didn't quite see them as human the way I did, as people. So long as they didn't see them as a threat, or an enemy, I was fine. I could see from Jacob's face that he was not too comfortable being around so many vampires, but he kept his mouth shut, just glancing at Renesmee every few seconds.

"So when are we expecting the next round? I should probably let Sam know there will be a lot more strangers in the woods soon," Jacob said, his casual tone failing to hide all his worry. I could tell he didn't want to leave Renesmee alone, not with her in such close danger.

"I'm not sure," I replied. "Edward's calling Carlisle now," I heard Edward speaking quickly on the phone in the other room. "If there is no one due to arrive this morning, we were thinking of going to see Charlie, before he decides to come here." Jacob nodded, and I knew he wouldn't be sticking around here if we left. He would probably join us, or run the woods, keeping a look out. I turned around as I heard Edward's footsteps approaching behind me, Renesmee's heartbeat getting louder.

She was awake now, though she didn't make a noise as other infants did when they woke up. Renesmee had her hand pressed Edward's cheek, conversing in her special way. I examined her face carefully as Edward brought her closer to me. She looked serious and understanding, but not scared. At least she was still hidden from the worst reality of our situation. I reached out for Renesmee just as she reached for me, cradling her to my chest. We didn't need words to show our love for each other, just how it had been with Charlie and me.

"Carlisle told us to expect his Irish friends this afternoon. Rosalie and Emmett are still hunting for nomads, so we should be fine visiting Charlie this morning, if that's what you would like to do?" Edward asked.

"We need to go see him before he comes here," I agreed, nodding. Renesmee pressed her hand against my skin, Charlie's face flashing into my mind. She was excited to go see him. Renesmee adored Charlie, who spent hours every visit cooing over her. Obviously my daughter didn't get her love of attention from me.

"Why don't you call Charlie and tell him we will be around in ten minutes or so?" Edward suggested, handing me his small silver phone. I hit the speed-dial and waited impatiently for him to pick up. After ten rings, there was crinkling as the old phone was lifted off the hook.

"Hello?" Charlie said, his voice tired. I hadn't realized it was slightly earlier than the polite time to call. I could imagine my father's face, tired and grumpy, probably woken up by the phone.

"Hey Dad," I said, working on keeping the ring out of my voice. Of course I had slipped up a few times before, so Charlie knew of the bell like tone my voice naturally was, but I did anything to make myself seem less different than before. It was easier for Charlie that way. My father responded quickly, enthusiastically.

"Hey Bells!" He said, his tone immediately uplifted. "Did you want me to come by? I haven't seen Nessie in quite a while you know..." My father's attempt at subtly was useless.

"Actually I was wondering if we could come see you?" I asked, waiting while Charlie took a small pause.

"Sure. Coming to get some of your old clothes back, huh?" he joked. I moved on quickly before he could say anything about Alice, who sometimes accompanied us on these trips. She was still an angel in Charlie's eyes.

"Yeah," I replied. "We'll be there in about ten minutes." I could almost see Charlie's sigh in disapproval. Travelling at the legal police-enforced speed limit, it would take much longer than that to get between our houses. I hung up quickly, handing the phone back to Edward. It seemed he had already made plans with the others to contact us if anything not to plan were to occur. While there were still a low number of visiting vampires in the house- all of them close friends to the Cullen's- Edward seemed comfortable leaving them for the morning.

"I really don't see why we can't take your car, Bella," Jacob complained, trailing along behind us. Ever since I had taken the car out with him for a test drive, Jacob was continuously nagging me to drive it more often. He and Edward had spent a long time talking about all the features of my pretty red vehicle.

"Don't you think it's just a bit too obvious?" I replied, climbing into the front seat with Renesmee on my lap. Jacob clambered, still grumbling, into the back as Edward spun out of the garage. His driving didn't scare me now the way it used to. Anything but running seemed slow to me. Speed seemed to be a vampire thing. It only took us eight minutes to reach Charlie, speeding down the empty Forks streets. Just before we pulled up at Charlie's, I popped in my contacts, resisting the urge to dislodge the objects.

"Hey guys!" Charlie called from the porch as we got out. Jacob waved easily, casual. At least one of us would be able to hold it together for the next few hours.

"I hope you have a proper baby seat for Ness in that car, Bella," Charlie said disapprovingly, noting Renesmee's position on my lap. I smiled sheepishly, rolling my eyes. Charlie didn't look too happy that his daughter wasn't following the recommended safety procedures. Little did he know just how safe she was with us, when driving at least. Because at the end of the month, she wouldn't be safe with us, not with Edward and I. I swallowed the lump in the back of my throat and tried to force a composed expression. Charlie caught the look in my eyes, putting his arm around my shoulders, shivering as he felt the coolness of my skin through my jacket.

"Hey, I was kidding, Bella," He said, worried it was something he had done which set me off.

"I know," I replied. Charlie waited for further explanation. "I'm just not feeling too well." Edward squeezed my hand. Charlie looked beyond worried.

"Do you think your sickness has come back? Will you have to go away again?" Charlie asked, his voice panicking at the thought. I was quick to reassure him.

"No, no, Dad, it's nothing like that. I'm fine, really. Let's go inside." Apparently I was a better liar than I thought, because Charlie led the way into the house, closing the door behind him. It took me a moment to work out that I should have been pretending to shiver or crossing my arms across my chest. Charlie looked at me rather oddly before shaking his head. He had learnt to brush off the less human reactions of mine.

"How's my favourite granddaughter!" Charlie said, turning his attention to Renesmee, who was delighted to see him. She pressed her hand against my cheek, imaging herself in Charlie's arms. It would worry Charlie if Renesmee spoke in front of him, and it would give him a heart attack if she used her usual form of communication. So she communicated with Edward, Jacob or I like normal. It didn't look like she was doing any more than touching our cheeks or our necks.

"Your only granddaughter," I said, my mood relaxing. I handed Renesmee over to Charlie, who made a perfect cradle- he was now an expert with holding Renesmee- with his arms. I could see that Renesmee was heavier in Charlie's arms now, though she was still feather light to me. Her growth spurt had slowed, but not enough for it to slip Charlie's notice.

"You know how much I love Nessie, but I hope you're not expecting another child anytime soon," Charlie said, his parent voice coming through. I knew he thought I was too young to look after a child, especially after just getting married. The scene was too similar to his own young adult days.

"Don't worry, Dad, there's no chance of that happening. Renesmee is more than enough," I explained, avoiding the detail that I _couldn't_ have any more children.

"Glad to hear that," Charlie laughed, too distracted by Renesmee to say anymore. Jacob found his way through to the living room, cueing Charlie to invite us to sit down. Of course it was unnecessary, but it was easier to look human whilst sitting down; I still hadn't perfected my ungraceful walk. Every few seconds I had to remind myself to blink, or cross my legs, or brush my hair behind my ear. It didn't help that Edward was so much better at acting human than I was, mind you, he did have a century worth of practice.

"Is something going on at yours?" Charlie asked after a while. I didn't know what to reply. Luckily Edward was much better at responding than I was. Charlie barely noticed my hesitation.

"We have our friends from Alaska visiting right now. It's quite a full house," Edward laughed, just the right amount of humour in his voice. It was the truth, he just left out the part that our house wasn't made full by the rest of our family, but by another group of visitors. The rest of the morning went quickly. Charlie was so engaged with Renesmee he didn't notice my expression every time he asked about Alice or wanted to know what our plans for the holidays were. Thankfully Edward was able to cover those questions smoothly, squeezing my hand as my expression became one of pain.

The time flew quickly, and it wasn't long before Edward whispered into my ear that we needed to return home soon. Charlie insisted that we see each other soon, and I had to lie through my teeth as I promised a visit within the next few days, not knowing whether this would even be possible with more vampires arriving over the next week or so. Charlie was surprised that Jacob didn't stay to see Billy, who was planning to visit Charlie in the afternoon with Sue. As Edward, Jacob and I walked at a human pace to the car, I was certain my father knew something was up. He might not know what was wrong, exactly, but he knew there was something happening, something which had me in a state of terror. I would have to work on seeming happy, or at least normal, for Charlie's sake, for my daughter's sake.

The car ride home was silent. Renesmee sat in the back with Jacob, communicating with him in her special way. I wondered what she was telling him. Edward and Jacob all looked pretty relaxed hearing her thoughts, so she wasn't as worried as I feared. I stared out the window, watching the forest fly by, every leaf just as vivid clear as if I were stationary. No one made any move to break the science, though I could hear Jacob's movements. Wolves were more comfortable moving than still, unlike us. With a few blinks, the last of my contacts dissolved in my eyes.

For the next hour or so, things were slightly happier, more casual as the visiting vampires got to know each other. Peter and Charlotte were quite quiet people, but they answered every question of the Denali's in great detail. Edward sat silent and patient; he has heard it all before. The only time when he leaned forward to listen was when Peter mentioned Alice showing up and sending them here. She never made any promise to see them again, never said where she and Jasper were going, what they were doing. The only information we had of them was that they were in a hurry. So Alice had her own mission, or maybe she was just in a hurry to get as far away from the Volturi's place of arrival as possible. I guess it's something I will never know. The idea tore at my heart.

Jacob was out talking to Sam, rearranging the pack. From what it sounded like, Jacob wanted Quil, Embry, Seth and Leah to run with Sam. The packs needed to be united now more than ever, and Jacob would be spending as much time as he could with Renesmee, especially in a houseful of vampires. It was in his instincts to keep her away from danger, and stranger vampires constituted danger. Not that anyone would dream of harming Renesmee.

As time passed, I started focusing less on the conversations in the room and more on the sound of tires on the highway. After twenty four cars had passed, I heard the sound of an engine slowing in the distance. Every other vampire in the room froze into silence as a vehicle pulled off the highway and onto the Cullen's driveway. Edward was the first to break the silence.

"Time for the third round," Edward said to me quietly before addressing everyone. "This group shouldn't be too hard to convince of the truth, so we should have no problem staying in our current positions. Maybe it would be best if we keep Renesmee out of view for the first few minutes though. Jacob, you might want to go hide for a little bit." Everyone was in action with everyone's instructions. I waited around the corner in the dining room with Renesmee.

"Why should this group be easy to convince?" I asked Edward as the car outside got closer and closer to the end of the driveway.

"You'll find out in a few seconds," Edward replied just as three doors opened and closed below. I waited impatiently yet nervously as we prepared to tell the horror story for a third time.

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><p><strong><em>To the reviewer who suggested I do the Denali clans reaction, this is covered in the book, so I don't think I will be able to cover it again. I will do some of the key reactions though. I would love to do a few chapters with Bella learning to fight and expand her shield, but it all depends on what chapter writes itself out in my head. Please review and tell me what you think!<em>**


	4. Expansion

**_As promised, here is the meeting with the Irish coven. I would love to cover meeting all the new vampires, but I just want to get onto Bella working on her shield and fighting. I will do some key meetings, like the Egyptian coven and Alastair, maybe Garrett, but I probably won't cover every meeting. I will do Carlisle's return, and maybe Rosalie's too, but I don't want this story to get too boring for you. Let me know what you would like me to include, and things I could leave out._ **

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><p>My nervousness increased as three sets of footsteps made their way across porch. Experience replaying this story didn't make it any easier to tell. As the footsteps paused outside the door, I took in a breath, as I would have done if I were human. It relieved me in some ways that these little human impulses hadn't disappeared with my transformation.<p>

"Hello, Siobhan, Liam, Maggie," Edward said, his voice breaking the silence which had spread throughout the room. I tried to imagine what Siobhan would look like. I knew little about the Irish friends of Carlisle, only that which was mentioned that first day I met Renesmee. Then I had been too distracted by my beautiful daughter to pay attention to what they were saying. I pulled Renesmee slightly closer to my chest. She was silent and serious, waiting. Renesmee knew she had a job to do, just like the rest of us. So much responsibility for someone so young. She wasn't even half a year old and already we were putting the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Hello, Edward," Siobhan replied in a powerful voice, not surprised when he addressed her coven by name. Maybe this was not their first meeting like I expected, but Edward had never mentioned meeting the Irish friends before. "Carlisle said it was important we come quickly. Is everything alright?" Obviously Siobhan was spokesperson for the group, the leader.

"No, Siobhan, unfortunately things are far from okay. We've all been put in a great danger," Edward explained while I tensed, feeling the need to quiver. Renesmee felt the change in my stance, pressing her hand on my neck. Once again the mother-daughter bond was reversed as she tried to reassure me that everything would be alright, that people were coming to help us. I didn't dare mention that no matter how many people we gather, we wouldn't be able to win.

"Then what can we do to help?" A male voice asked, Liam, I assumed. This voice was powerful, slightly intimidating like Siobhan's, but not unfriendly.

"First just listen. What can you hear?" Edward asked. Every vampire cut off their breathing, though Renesmee's heartbeat would be clear even with eight odd vampires breathing. I could almost see the realization of the faces of this unknown coven as they heard the human-like heartbeat.

"Is that a heartbeat? Do you have a human inside?" Siobhan asked, her voice slightly quicker. I remembered that they, like Peter and Charlotte, live a traditional vampire lifestyle.

"No, not a human, but remember that she has a heartbeat. Don't jump to conclusions when you meet her. Please, I can't stress enough that she isn't what she appears." There was a small pause as the visitors processed Edward's words.

"Then introduce us, Edward," Siobhan said, and I was surprised that her voice was relaxed and calm. "We won't deny the truth." Edward breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay then. Bella, come meet Carlisle's Irish friends," Edward called to me, and I took a quick moment to compose myself before coming into view. Renesmee kept herself hidden in my hair so the new vampires couldn't see her face. After the Denali's reaction, she had learnt it was best for them to see her without really seeing her face. As soon as they did, they would see her as an immortal child.

Siobhan was huge and imposing, her facial features beautiful. I could see she was a gentle person, but her large frame, easily as tall as Edward, left me feeling slightly intimidated. But not as intimidated as when I saw Liam, a tall, lean man who face seemed somewhat hard. Behind them stood a much smaller girl- yes a girl; she was physically no older than Edward, if even that- her bouncing red curls giving her a happy, energetic feel. The way Liam and Siobhan stood it looked like they were protecting her automatically. I remembered Rosalie saying something about Maggie being the talented one in this group. I wondered idly what her gift was, knowing I was probably about to find out.

"Siobhan, Liam, Maggie, meet Bella and Renesmee," Edward introduced us, putting his arm around my shoulders. Renesmee remained hidden as each of the three visitors shook my hand, their smiles friendly and welcoming me to the vampire world. My eyes didn't keep my newborn state a secret. Liam seemed slightly protective of Siobhan as she shook my hand, not knowing of my supposed super self-control, which I now knew wasn't a gift. I could see clearly that Liam and Siobhan were together, both seeming like older siblings to little Maggie as they hovered near her.

"Hello, Renesmee," Siobhan addressed my daughter, leaning down so she was closer to her face. I didn't like having a vampire I had just met so close to her- especially as they didn't know what she was yet- but Edward remained calm, so I knew she would be okay. Their thoughts must have been every bit as calm as their relaxed stances.

Shyly, Renesmee took a deep breath and peeked out from my hair, looking Siobhan full in the face, who froze. Yes, they knew of the rule. Knew of it, and were scared to be associated with anything which would break that rule. Liam stared in shock, but little Maggie didn't change her careful expression.

"Before you jump to conclusions, she is not an immortal child, not by the definition you know. Renesmee has a heartbeat, you can hear it. You can smell her scent and know she isn't a vampire, a full one at least." The other vampires immediately turned their heads to the smallest member of their coven, who nodded.

"Everything Edward says is the truth, even the last part, about her not being a full vampire," her voice was sure of her words, but I could see the confusion as she processed the statement. Edward leaned down to explain in my ear.

"Maggie has a gift for knowing when people are lying, and she knows we are telling the truth," Edward explained while the other vampires listened in.

"Yes, we know you are telling the truth, but we are confused. What is this strange child?" Siobhan asked, gazing at Renesmee. I could see no insult in her words, she was incredibly curious.

"She is half human, half vampire," Edward explained. All three vampires looked dumbstruck.

"Bella conceived and carried Renesmee while she was human. Only after our daughter was born did she make the change. I am her father biologically, and Bella is her mother." It was Maggie who responded, coming to stand right in front of Renesmee, who smiled at her.

"Impossible...but every word is the truth. They are telling nothing but the truth, as hard as it is to believe." Maggie's voice was high and soprano-like, young and youthful, just like her appearance. She reached out to hold Renesmee without thinking about it. Renesmee imagined herself in Maggie's arms, delighted that she had been accepted even before she told her story. I looked up at Edward from the corner of my eye, who nodded.

A little reluctant to have her out of my arms, I handed Renesmee over to Maggie, who cradled her form to her chest. Renesmee looked up at Edward, wanting an answer to a question I hadn't heard.

"Maggie, would you mind if Renesmee explains a little more herself? She has a gift for communicating," Edward said to the small vampire.

"We all believe your story without further need of explanation, but I am curious," Maggie responded while her coven members nodded in agreement. "What can you do, little one." Renesmee beamed a smile, touching Maggie's cheek lightly. I watched as her eyes glazed over, seeing Renesmee's thoughts. Siobhan and Liam waited both patiently and protectively.

"Amazing," Maggie whispered. "Show them, little angel, tell them what you told me." Renesmee was ecstatic, reaching out to touch Siobhan, then Liam, who accepted her story calmly and completely. Just like everyone before them, they were hooked. So far, no one had refused the truth. But how long would it last? At least I had the reassurance that no one had rejected Renesmee's story after hearing it, even those who had such a negative reaction to her in the first place. The Volturi had to do no more than touch her skin to know she was telling the truth, but would we be able to make them pause? It horrified me that I had no answer.

"I see how people could originally assume baby Renesmee was dangerous, but clearly she isn't, so what is this danger you speak of?" Siobhan asked anxiously, Renesmee looking minute in her arms. Edward straightened up, his arm tensing around my shoulders. The other vampires had fallen silent again, listening in on the horror story.

"Another saw Renesmee and jumped to the same conclusion as you originally did. She didn't give us chance to explain. She was grieving and rather...put out with our family. We have about a month until we are to be punished for the crime we have appeared to have committed," Edward's voice was emotionless as he spoke. Renesmee looked serious, but not empty like the rest of us. Unlike me, she still had hope.

"We will fight for the truth," Maggie declared, while Siobhan and Liam nodded. It was obvious they knew who was coming to punish us, the only police force in the vampire world.

"Carlisle would never ask you to fight for us, Maggie, just to witness. You see, Renesmee develops at an acute rate. This time next month she will be about half a year older, physically at least. With every day she gains years of development mentally. It will be clear as you watch her that she is nothing like the immortal children you have witnessed." Edward explained, looking at Renesmee as he spoke. She smiled her dazzling smile at him, unaware of how difficult the coming task would be. I could see the effort it took for Edward to force a serene smile back.

"Certainly we will be able to witness that Renesmee has grown, and we will be willing to fight for her too. We would never deny the truth," Liam declared, speaking for one of the first times. His tone was very friendly, despite his hard, guarded expression. So we had another three vampires to add to the twelve already committed to witnessing for us. It was nowhere near the number in the Volturi, but it might be enough to halt them. One pause, which is all we need.

The next few moments were spent covering introductions. I waited patiently while Edward introduced the latest vampires to those we had already gathered. Siobhan and Maggie were intrigued with the Denali's, unaware that so many _vegetarian_ vampires existed. Peter and Charlotte conversed politely with the coven as they all discussed how they met the Cullen's. To an outsider, it would have just seemed like a friendly meeting.

Renesmee fell happily into the spotlight as she was handed around half a dozen pairs of arms, giggling as she shared her thoughts with all her new friends. Despite their original reaction, I could see how quickly the Denali sisters had been drawn into Renesmee, hugging her close and smiling when they spoke. Renesmee was in some ways the perfect host, entertaining all her guests, bringing such different people together to unite over one common goal. I barely had to speak, my arms wrapped tightly around Edward's waist as we watched our daughter being passed around our guests.

"Such a useful gift!" Eleazar said, smiling at little Maggie. "To know when you are being lied to, or dragged into a trap. And the person doesn't even need to speak for you to see their falseness! We seem to be forming quite a talented little group here!" Clearly everyone's mood was uplifted, knowing we had some extra abilities beyond the normal to help us out. Eleazar looked to Edward and I as he mentioned talent, causing curiosity to spark.

"We know what you can do, Edward, but what about your young mate?" All eyes were on me, and I felt the urge to cower into Edward's arms. The spotlight was not a place I felt comfortable, vampire or not.

"I'm a _shield_, I think," I responded, a questioning tone in my voice. Still all I saw was me in a ridiculous suit of body armour. It was still baffling to think of myself as having another gift. Super self-control was my gift, it was my talent. A vampire couldn't have two gifts, which meant my self-control was no more than the product of my preparations. But I had seen the newborn Bree in the meadow; I had heard all the stories. Surely my advanced knowledge of this world couldn't have given me the strength to resist humans on my own.

"A shield?" Maggie asked curiously, interested. It was Eleazar who explained, probably knowing the most about vampire gifts out of all of us.

"It's a defensive gift; in this case, Bella's mind is protected from gifts which work inside the head. Edward can't hear her, nor can Aro, and Jane's gift is useless on her," Eleazar explained, a slight tone of pride, or maybe hope in his voice. His words only reinforced my desperate need to protect those closest to me. If I could project my little glitch far enough to protect Renesmee, maybe then she would last long enough for someone to escape with her.

Siobhan, Liam and Maggie all looked at me with curiosity, their eyes gleaming. I could tell Siobhan was fascinated.

"Kate thinks I might be able to project it, shield someone other than myself," I commented after a moment of awkward silence. Everyone was still staring at me, their faces either fascinated, or uninterested; they had heard this all before. Edward looked at me in awe, the familiar but yet still confusing look like I was the centre of the universe.

"Momma is special," Renesmee added in her high voice, smiling. Everyone laughed, and the attention was turned back to my adoring water. A few minutes later, Jacob showed up, unable to stand being away from Renesmee so long. Siobhan, Maggie and Liam listened with interest as we explained the wolves to them, but they made no move to talk to Jacob or acknowledge him as a human being. Jacob seemed content just grumbling to Renesmee in the corner about the stench.

"Look who's talking," Peter mumbled when Jacob complained about all the 'reeking vampires' about. The visiting vampires laughed while Jacob screwed up his nose, pretending to wave away the smell with his hand. Edward and I sat quietly- and unnecessarily- on the couch, staring into each other's eyes. The first time he broke away was to respond to a thought I hadn't heard, his expression tensing slightly. I couldn't be sure, but he looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure how that will work," Edward said to one of the visitors. "We would all appreciate if you go out of state. You're welcome to use any of the vehicles here." I saw Jacob's face twist between disgust and discomfort as he realized what they were talking about. His brow creased as they discussed how mealtimes will work. I tried to give him a sympathetic look, but the situation didn't exactly warm me. After all, the pack was here to protect human lives, something which wouldn't fit in with the lifestyle of the visiting vampires.

So Siobhan, Liam and Maggie left in Alice's Porsche, while Peter and Charlotte borrowed Edward's special occasion car. As soon as they were out of the house, Jacob made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat but didn't say anymore. Edward, trying to be a gracious host, made no comment as he handed over the keys to his precious vehicle. After a few seconds, Edward took my hands in his face, forcing our eyes to meet.

"You should go hunting too, Bella," he suggested softly. "I know you are strong enough to last, but I don't want you to be in pain." I opened my mouth to protest, but Edward put a finger over my lips.

"I'm sure Renesmee should go along too. Since your last hunting trip was called off, it would probably be wise to feed her while we things are relatively quiet around here. There isn't too much donated blood left." Edward had me with that one, and he knew it.

"We could do with going hunting now too," Tanya said, hearing our conversation. "Carlisle's call caught us just before we were about to go hunting, so we haven't fed in a few weeks." The rest of the Denali's stood up from their seats on the couch, sprinting then pausing at the door. I jumped up to follow them, pausing when Edward made no move to follow us.

"Are you not coming?" I asked. True, his eyes were still a deep gold. He would be fine for a few weeks, but usually he comes with me on these hunting trips. Edward looked a little hesitant to answer.

"I should probably stay here, just in case someone else shows up," Edward explained. I opened my mouth, about to suggest that if someone were to show up, I should be here with him. Edward noticed this.

"Don't worry, I'm just being overcautious," Edward reassured me, smiling for the old times. Some things never change. "Have fun," Edward whispered into my ear. Then he leaned down to press his lips to mine. It was much more than just a peck. My subconscious reactions taking over, I crashed our bodies together, throwing my arms around his neck like there wasn't a whole audience watching. After a few second, Edward pulled away. If I were human, my cheeks would have been flaming. Instead I dipped my head in embarrassment and took Renesmee in my arms.

The Denali's took off into the woods- obviously they were familiar with the area- as I gripped Renesmee tightly against my chest. It didn't take me long to catch up, my strides still twice as long as theirs. I heard the unique thrumming of paws behind us as Jacob followed, keeping his distance but still in Renesmee's line of sight.

As we caught the scent of a heard of deer off to the north, everyone's stance lowered, letting our senses lead the way. Renesmee flipped out of my arms, shooting off into the woods, holding her own amongst a group of speeding vampires. Closing my eyes like Edward had taught me that very first trip, I let the smell take over, pulling me towards my meal. Taking a deep breath, I slipped into my hunting crouch, shooting off into the woods.


End file.
